The Gambler
by TealEyed-Quatre
Summary: AU, Oneshot. Yaoi. WuFei works as a card dealer at a casino in Las Vegas. There's one business man who comes every day, and it's clear he's not just there for the cards...


**The Gambler**

Pairing: Zechs/WuFei

Setting: Las Vegas; AU

Rated: YuMMy

By: TealEyed_Quatre, for dearest Cosmos

He came there every day. WuFei worked there six days a week, so he should know, right? And he did. The tall, aristocratic man with waist-length blonde hair came into the casino every day between four and five, stayed for three hours, and left without drinking a thing. Of course, he got this information from the bartender, Duo, who had seen WuFei eyeing the man and decided to share. Not that he really wanted to know. The guy wasn't THAT interesting. And we all know that the Nile is just a river in Egypt.

WuFei worked as a card dealer in one of Vegas' smaller casinos. The only reason he did that was because the job was a gift from a friend, who just happened to be on his honeymoon. Quatre Raberba Winner was one of the more well-known business men in the area. He much preferred the order and comforting energy of his uncle's dojo, but since the massacre… He'd rather not think about that. He turned his thoughts back to the game in front of him.

The casino wasn't very full this time of day, so it was easy to spot the man as he came in. He wore an expensive Italian business suit and his long hair was pulled into a tail at the base of his neck. He let out a weary, inaudible sigh as he sat down at the table and nodded to WuFei, who dealt him his cards. He glanced at them without care, shifting them absently in his hand. There were dark bruises under his eyes from lack of sleep, and WuFei wondered why as he passed out another round of cards.

The next few hours passed slowly. More people entered the casino as it got later, and became drunker as it got later. The games grew in stakes and in ridiculousness, the players making absurd moves and betting high amounts to match their levels of sobriety. The blonde man, as usual, stayed completely calm, and after exactly three hours, left with an inordinate amount of cash won from the others at the table. WuFei watched him go with a strange sense of loss, wondering, not for the first time, why he came to the same table every day. With a shake of his head, he turned back to the table with the next round.

* * *

"… And then, the platypus turned to him and said—Fei? Are you even listening to me?" A hand rested on his arm and he jerked around, coming face to face with the unforgettable features of Duo Maxwell.

He sighed irritably. "I'm fine, Maxwell. And call me by my name, if you must say it at all." A headache was setting in, and he did NOT want to still be here when it finished. He stood and pushed the stool back in, ignorant of the concerned violet eyes that watched him.

"Fei, you know you can tell me anything, right? Stupidity aside, I do care about my friends."

"Of course, Maxwell. I'll see you tomorrow, if this headache abates." WuFei grabbed his coat from behind the bar and turned towards the door, saying over his shoulder, "I'll call you if I can't make it. You can find a replacement."

"Sure thing, Fei. Have a good night."

He nodded in reply and stepped into the cool night air. He breathed deeply, relishing the near-silence that came with the late hour. Not even the city's tourists and gamblers wanted to be out right now. With a heavy sigh, he made his way to the employee parking lot to find his bike.

It was a gift from his father, the only thing left after the massacre that had destroyed their family and home. A VRSCD Night Rod©, dark black with carefully polished chrome accents. It was his pride and joy. He yanked the helmet over his aching head and straddled it. With a low rumble, he was riding down the road towards his three room apartment.

* * *

He was late to work the next night. WuFei had reached his apartment at three in the morning, only to find the electricity and water shut off. So he had to wake the landlord and argue about his bills, which _had_ been paid, and finally managed to get some sleep at nine a.m. He slept through his alarm and woke in a panic at five in the evening, rushing to dress and call Duo to make excuses.

Now he sat at the bar, waiting for the evening rush to begin. His thoughts were interrupted by the entrance of a familiar blonde businessman, who took a seat next to him with a fatigued smile. Duo set a bottle of spring water in front of the man with a wink to WuFei before slipping to the other end of the bar, cleaning glasses with a rag.

"Do you have a name?" The voice was deep enough to be startling, rich as red wine and smooth like silk. Black eyes slid over a tired face to meet ice blue.

"Chang WuFei."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Chang. Call me Zechs." A large hand was held out in a friendly gesture and he shook it hesitantly.

He bowed his head in respect. "It is nice to know your name. I need to get to work." WuFei nodded farewell and left to set up his table. He would see Zechs again in a few minutes, anyways.

* * *

The evening progressed the way it always did; the only difference was acknowledgment from Zechs as he dealt round after round of cards late into the night. When the blonde finally left the table he took a seat at the bar, which hadn't happened before. Duo just passed him another water and grinned at WuFei when Zechs wasn't looking.

WuFei's shift ended at two in the morning and he was just cleaning up. He was feeling rather lethargic and planned to stop and get groceries on his way home. He had just retrieved his jacket from the locker room and was at the door when a large hand landed on his arm. He spun around in an instant, falling into a deeply ingrained defensive stance. Zechs stood behind him, one hand still outstretched. A blush flooded WuFei's cheeks and he quickly righted himself, coughing a bit.

"I apologize, you startled me," he said embarrassedly. Zechs shook his head, a small smile spreading upon his lips. The corners of his eyes crinkled as he did so, making the dark circles less noticeable.

"No, I apologize. I had not realized that you would not hear me. I tend to forget how quiet I can be." He bowed an apology, long hair falling over his shoulders. "May I offer you a ride home? You look rather tired."

"Oh… I'm alright. I have a few errands to run, anyways. But thanks." WuFei was still blushing, and he hid it behind a scowl. "I need to go, before it gets even later."

"Wait!" The hand grabbed his wrist as he moved forwards, yanking him off balance. He fell back onto the larger man's torso, head fitting perfectly into the curve between neck and shoulder. Platinum blonde hair fell like a curtain around his face. Now they were both blushing. They separated as fast as humanly possible, avoiding each other's faces.

"I'm so sorry. But I must insist that I drive you home. You shouldn't be driving in this state; it's not safe. I'll take you wherever you need to go. And I'll have someone bring your car over later so that you can drive to work tomorrow."

"No, I-" WuFei thought for a moment, then gave in with a sigh. "Fine. My bike is in the employee lot; the only Harley."

Zechs looked at him in surprise, eyebrows raised. "A Harley? My, Mr. Chang, you're just full of surprises."

* * *

They drove first to the nearest grocery, and Zechs pulled the various items from WuFei's hands as he pulled them off the shelves, carrying them in a rare act of politeness. He noticed that it was much easier to shop with a companion, and ignored the display of misplaced chivalry. He was dropped at the front of his complex not half an hour later, food neatly bagged at his feet. His heart did _not_ beat a little faster when Zechs gave him a heart-stopping smile.

"Your Harley will be out front no later then three, Mr. Chang. And I will see you tomorrow night."

"Thank you, and have a good night." He was _not _blushing madly at the notion of seeing him again so soon. He was not.

He made his way inside as quickly as he could, shoving the groceries into their proper places and falling onto his futon with a heavy sigh. His apartment had never seemed so empty before…

* * *

The next afternoon could not pass fast enough. Everything he did reminded him of Zechs; it was near infuriating! He could not concentrate on his meditations or his kata; his food burned in the pan… He couldn't wait until time for work. He was going crazy!

As soon as the clock reached four, he was outside and zooming down the streets towards the casino. He slumped at the bar in front of Duo, wondering why he was so happy to be there. He hated this job! He jumped a bit when a bottle of water landed in front of his nose.

"Why you lookin' so down, Wuffers?" The grin was a little less happy today. Violet eyes watched him with concern.

"I'm not sure…" This was embarrassing.

"Let me know when you figure it out, kay? I wanna help." And Duo glided off to the other end of the bar to polish more glasses.

He sighed and moved to his table. He seemed to be doing that a lot recently. What in Kami's name was wrong with him? The sturdy table shook with tremors as he banged his fists on it. Stupid feelings!

Hours passed. Gamblers came and went, all different levels of sobriety. But for the first time in almost a month, Zechs did not. Finally, at a quarter to midnight, he stumbled in. Even darker circles ringed his eyes and his long hair was escaping its ties. He practically collapsed onto a stool at the table and smiled weakly when WuFei passed him a set of cards. Two a.m. arrived in what seemed to be just an instant, to both of their relief.

They took seats at the bar together, thanking Duo for the bottles of water he set in front of them. After a few moments of silence, WuFei spoke.

"You were late." It's a bold statement, and he regretted it as soon as he said it. He's being too forward.

"My meetings ran over. I'm just glad I got here before you left." They glanced at each other and then away when their eyes meet.

"Hmph. You should have gone home to bed. Now I'll have to drive you there so you don't pass out on the road." There was a light blush on his cheeks.

"You don't have to do that," came the soft reply. He avoided eye contact, embarrassed beyond belief.

"I owe you for last night."

"…Oh…" Disappointment. He'd hoped that WuFei would be offering in kindness, but…

"It's only fair. Duo, can you get my jacket? I need to take this idiot home before he runs out on me." The worn leather coat comes out from under the bar and is on his shoulders in the blink of an eye. "Call me tomorrow and I'll let you know if I'm coming in."

"Sure, Fei. Have a good night. Day. Whatever."

"Oyasumi." He has Zechs' wrist in his hand and suddenly they were in the employee parking lot, standing in front of a beautiful black Harley, polished to perfection. He was frozen with admiration, and WuFei rolled his eyes and shoved him towards it.

"Honestly, it's not _that_ amazing. Get on the back and hold onto my waist. Where do you live?" The engine started with a low rumble, the vibration familiar beneath his body. Long pale arms wound around his stomach and clenched in the fabric of his coat. Blonde hair whipped around them as they sped through the town.

"Just take me to your place. Can I sleep on your couch?" He yawned widely and spit out the hair that had flown into his mouth. "It's too far away for you to drive tonight."

WuFei sighed. "Whatever. I'll take the couch, you can have the futon. You won't fit on my couch anyway."

* * *

The apartment was obsessively clean for a bachelor pad. It was tastefully decorated with red and black accents, Chinese in nature to reflect their owner's heritage. The mantle above the fireplace held a beautiful katana.

Zechs stood in the middle of the large living area as WuFei pulled extra pillows and blankets from the hall closet. They were thrown on the couch before he was led into the single bedroom. There was a black futon, a black computer desk, computer, and a phone on the black nightstand. Shelf after shelf of books lined every other free space on the walls. He picked up the nearest one, which happened to be a study on the psychology of necrophilia. He choked on his saliva and put it back as inconspicuously as he could.

"Here. Set the alarm clock as early as you need, there is food in the kitchen for when you wake up. I don't leave until about four, so you're on your own for the rest of the time." The door closed behind him with a quiet click. Zechs glanced around the room one more time before shrugging. He'd just skip work the next day.

* * *

He woke around two in the afternoon to the sound of cupboards opening and closing in the kitchen. A loud clanging sound was followed by a muffled curse and WuFei sat up swiftly. There was no way he would sleep any longer.

Duo stood in the middle of his kitchen with a pot in one hand and a large bag of cat food in the other. A scruffy brown kitten circled at his feet, gazing up at him wistfully. WuFei rubbed his eyes to make sure he was seeing right. Yes, he was. In the next moment, Zechs wandered shirtless into the room and Duo dropped the pot. When the other two finally snapped out of their daze, they found him rolling on the floor clutching his stomach.

"What on earth are you doing here?" WuFei cried. "You picked the lock again, didn't you! I told you not to do that!"

Duo ignored him, wiping tears from his eyes. "You brought him home! I can't believe you, Wu-man! Sex on the first date! Bwahahaha-" Duo was interrupted by the impact of a fist to the side of the head.

"Shut up, you imbecile! I slept on the couch! You have no sense of decency!" WuFei's face was quickly turning red. "And why is there a cat in here?"

"He's your birthday present! Q-bean thought you would get lonely, so he asked me to get you a pet. Though I'm not so sure you don't already have one!"

WuFei growled and hit him again. "I swear, Maxwell…"

He held his hands up in a placating gesture. "I get it, Fei. His name is Chin, he is completely housetrained, and he can take care of himself while you work. I got to go; take good care of the pets!" He cackled madly as he disappeared down the hall.

WuFei sighed heavily and rubbed his temples. This was not going to be a good day.

* * *

Zechs dressed and left quickly, claiming a business meeting that he was already late for. WuFei tidied the house a bit and cleared the living room to do his kata.

He worked smoothly, all attention focused on the fluid movements of his body. The katana was just an extension of his arm, an extension of his body as much as was possible. He closed his eyes and the world faded around him. The air was still and no sound beyond that of his own body reached his ears. That is, until something attached itself to his leg with needle-sharp claws. He yelped and nearly dropped his katana. What the—

Oh. The cat the Max-fucking-well left in his apartment. He sighed and detached it from his calf, glaring daggers at its fuzzy face. "You stupid animal. I almost sliced you in half."

"Mrow." It looked up at him with big blue eyes.

"Ugh," WuFei glared at it again. "Fine. Just stay out of the way!" He tossed the kitten onto his couch with a grunt and sheathed his katana. There was no point in continuing at the moment. It was set carefully on its stand and he made his way to his bedroom to dress for work.

The bed was neatly made and the rest of the room was just as orderly, as if no one had slept there the night before. It left a funny feeling in his stomach, having all evidence of Zechs' stay erased.

Wait, what? He was _not_ down about the fact that his room was clean. Nope. He _liked _it clean. Clean and orderly, for good energy… He shook his head. He needed to quit wool-gathering and get to work.

WuFei yanked open the bottom drawer and pulled out a pair of comfortable slacks and a black vest with the casino logo on the pocket. Then he slipped a carefully-pressed button down off the hanger and put it on. With that correctly buttoned, the vest went on overtop and his slacks slid up his legs to fit snugly about his waist.

He decided not to ponder the fact that he'd picked a pair that was too tight and headed out into the living room, grabbing his leather jacket off the hook. He stopped short when he remembered the cat, Chin. He turned right back around and scooped it up off the couch, where it had been watching him curiously. Blue eyes watched him intelligently.

"Mrow?"

WuFei sighed and cradled it in one arm. "I'm going to put you in the bathroom while I'm at work. There's nothing there for you to mess with."

* * *

The ride to work was uneventful, the streets nearly empty as it was just before the rush hour. WuFei focused on the sound of the wind flying past his helmet and the feel of the bike between his thighs, warm and alive and rumbling like a content kitten. Of course, that just took his thoughts right back to the cat locked in his bathroom, and his fingers tightened on the handlebars. That damn Maxwell.

He reached the casino in less time than usual, and he made a mental note to keep better track of his speed on the way home. He parked his bike and headed into the employee locker room, taking a seat on the bench and rubbing his hands over his face. His thoughts were heavy, and he needed to clear his mind in order to perform his duties with the proper amount of attention.

There was no way Zechs would show up that night, he thought despondently. Not after that fiasco with Maxwell…

WuFei sighed and pulled off his jacket before opening his locker and stuffing it inside. Then he made his way out to the bar to get some water from Duo and get his table ready for the evening.

It was Thursday, so the crowd was a little thicker than it was the rest of the week, tourists getting a head start on the weekend milling around as the day moved from afternoon into evening. It was still quiet, and he thanked Kami for that- he could feel the vestiges of a headache beginning behind his temples.

Duo greeted him enthusiastically when he reached the bar and he barely grunted a response, anger not completely dissolved. A frown momentarily creased the brunette's brow but it smoothed away in an instant, replaced with a cheery, if somewhat dimmer than usual, smile.

"You know, Fei, I'm sorry about this morning. I hope I didn't ruin anything… I know you wouldn't do anything like I accused you of, I was just playing around."

WuFei nodded sharply, avoiding the other's eyes. "There was nothing to ruin, Maxwell. Just… forget about it, ne?"

Duo's amethyst gaze was contemplative and a bit sympathetic. "Well, if he can't handle a little teasing from mwah, then he isn't worth the time. Any man worth his salt who wanted _anything_ from you would be able to deal." He shrugged a little and reached under the bar for WuFei's bottle of water. "If he doesn't come back tonight, forget about him. You don't need a guy like that."

The rare words of advice comforted him… Not that he would admit it under any kind of torture.

"Whatever, Maxwell. I've got to get to work." He turned sharply on his heel and strode away, determined to bury his uneasiness. He was _not _worried about seeing that man again.

* * *

Time passed at the speed of a polluted river, and WuFei felt like he was in the mud at the bottom, mired down and struggling to see through the clouds of disturbed sediment. He was tired and frustrated and he had little patience for the drunken idiots at his table.

Luckily, he wasn't required to speak to them often, and he managed to distance himself from the stupidity in front of him enough to keep from losing his temper. Eventually they left and things began to wind down, the casino emptying as they reached the early hours of the morning. Two AM came and went and WuFei made his way home without even a glimpse of Zechs.

He drove slowly, tired of thinking and hoping and dammit, he was _not_ going to be sad about having lost something that he hadn't owned in the first place. He would reach his apartment, make sure the demon cat was settled, and go to sleep. And the next day he would get up and go to work and everything would be _normal_ again, the way it had been before the blonde had showed up for the first time.

Unfortunately, his well-made plans came to a grinding halt before they even began.

Zechs was leaning against the wall outside his door, worry and regret etched clearly in the lines of his face. He surged forward as WuFei rounded the corner, eyes narrowing at the sight of him.

"WuFei! I'm so, so sorry about this morning… Or yesterday, whichever. I mean- I didn't-"

WuFei rolled his black eyes and stepped around him to unlock the door. When it opened, he motioned for Zechs to enter first. He locked the door behind them and hung his jacket on its hook before turning slowly to acknowledge Zechs, who had been wringing his hands.

"What, exactly, happened yesterday that you feel the need to apologize for?"

Zechs gave him a dumb look. "Well, I took over your bed, and I left so abruptly, without thanking you for anything, and I didn't come to see you tonight, and-"

WuFei cut him off. "You're here, aren't you? So you _did_ come to see me. And Maxwell's incessant stupidity isn't your fault, is it? You don't control his actions and you _certainly_ don't control his mouth." He stepped around Zechs for the second time and moved to the stove, turning on a burner and filling the kettle with water.

"So what is there to apologize for?" He turned to look at the other, whose mouth was hanging open. A raised eyebrow shut the jaw and brought a red flush to the blonde's cheeks.

"Um… Uh…"

"And are you always this eloquent? I should hope not."

The flush darkened and WuFei allowed a soft laugh to escape. "Here, take a mug and go sit. The tea will be ready soon." He shoved a small ceramic mug into Zechs' hands and shooed him towards the table at the other end of the room.

The kettle began to whistle merrily just as he turned back to it, and a tiny smile stole across his face. Tea always made things so much simpler.

Within minutes they sat across from each other, sipping tea quietly. WuFei could tell that Zechs had something to say, and he waited patiently for the other man to speak.

"So…"

The word slipped gracefully into the space between them, hanging like smoke in the tranquil atmosphere. Black eyes glanced upwards and met blue…

Sparks sizzled across that space, charged with energy and eliminating any need for spoken dialogue. Their mugs were settled carefully on coasters and then WuFei was on the other side of the table, leaning down to meet Zechs' mouth with his own.

It was like nothing else he'd ever experienced before. It was dark chocolate on a hard day, tea in the afternoon to the sound of his mother's classical records. It was a bite of vanilla bean cheesecake and the steady ache of muscles after completing his first kata.

It was perfect.

They drew away reluctantly, searching each other's faces and finding what they wanted, what they needed in those features.

WuFei moved silently to the wall and turned off the lights, then took Zechs' hand and led him to the bedroom. There, the door was closed behind them and he was pressed against it, face cradled gently in those long-fingered hands. An agile tongue invaded his mouth and pressed lightly against his smooth teeth, exploring with a fervor he matched eagerly. Their lips moved together, instinctively knowing where to touch and feel and dance; _perfection_.

His own small hands clutched at broad shoulders, hair like corn silk sliding through his fingers and inciting a shiver. He felt a smile against his mouth and then Zechs' hands were under his thighs and he was being hoisted up. WuFei wrapped his legs around that trim waist and he ground helplessly into a flat stomach.

He'd never felt this way before; never had a lover light such a fire in him. Never had sparks ignite simply because of a look, an expression, a tilt of the head. Never.

Suddenly they were on his futon, the covers tossed out of the way and fingers were roaming underneath shirts, tracing muscles and scars and caressing skin that was entirely new. Zechs' lips were on his neck and teeth worried at his clavicle, making him gasp and heave as fire began to build up low in his groin.

He struggled to unbutton the other's shirt and strip it off, lifting off the bed to do the same with his own. WuFei tossed them to the other side of the room. He sucked in a breath at the sight of his new lover, pale and chiseled and watching him with a hunger he knew was showing on his own face. He ran his hands up that chest and over Zechs' shoulders to pull him closer, whispering praises under his breath.

They came together again, sliding out of belts and socks and trousers and bare skin sliding on skin for the first time; magma racing along nerves to synapses and fireworks going off behind their eyes, stimulated by sweet murmurs and gasps and moans.

Before he realized how much time had passed, WuFei found himself hooking his legs around the blonde's waist as deft fingers pressed against his thighs and slipped slowly, steadily downwards. He distracted himself by licking the salty sweat from Zechs' graceful neck, delighting in the way the other's breath caught in his throat when he found a sensitive spot.

And then a finger was pressing inside, millimeter by millimeter and each tiny movement seemed magnified by the thousands, leaving WuFei frozen in pleasure. It finally slid the whole way in and he let out a heavy breath, chest heaving and eyes unable to focus. His world narrowed to that single invasion, that one finger as it became two and then three in what seemed an eternity but was probably only minutes.

They withdrew and he whined deep in his throat, feeling bereft and alone despite

the presence looming promisingly above him. His small hands moved from those biceps and gripped the sheets, winding them around his fingers as he arched up, asking, _pleading_ for more contact, more skin, more _anything_.

He was not disappointed.

With all the genial temperance of an animal tamer, Zechs smoothed his hands down WuFei's hips in a calming manner and hitched his thighs up so unaffectedly that he didn't notice until he felt something nudge against his entrance.

He tightened his legs around Zechs' waist and the response was immediate; fluid motion like ocean waves brought a virtual tsunami of sensation crashing over him. He moaned and gasped and breathed that name like it was the name of his god- and perhaps, in that moment, it was. Everything he was and ever had been was concentrated around this man: his lover, his friend, his companion.

Nothing would ever be the same between them and he didn't want it to be.

They drew it out as long as they could, slow and sweet and passionate, full of unspoken truths and promises. They didn't need the words, they had faces and eyes and hearts. They didn't need words.

Yet, inevitably, they could feel it coming to an end and those movements became less fluid, more sharp and purposeful. In the space of a heartbeat, WuFei's muscles seized up and fireworks were exploding in his brain even as he yanked Zechs into a deep, soul-searching kiss.

It was over as soon as it had begun, and they lay together, panting and relishing the aftershocks that coursed liberally through their veins. Without a word, they shifted so that WuFei could lie on Zechs' chest, the covers pulled up carefully over their tired bodies.

He brushed a strand of damp blonde hair away from his cheek and with a feather-light touch, traced his angular jaw. Then he propped himself up onto an elbow to whisper in his ear, his blush darkening with each word.

As he settled back on the man's chest, an identical phrase reached his ears and he smiled to himself, satisfied.

They didn't need the words. They used them anyways.


End file.
